partners have been positive. The constructioncompanies and their staff are keen to support the projectwith information and help. Such relationships havebeen key to the project’s initial success, since feedbackfrom teachers and experts often means that differentproblems and scenarios need to be found to match thevarious levels and curricula.

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Using the School of the Built EnvironmentVirtual Site (a web-based platform)development has started on the Virtual

Maths project, funded by a Leeds MetropolitanUniversity Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund. Theproject makes maths more accessible, visual anddemonstrates real mathematical problems withinconstruction context. With the aid of sound andvision maths is brought to life with real workingconstruction problems and scenarios. The evaluationof the project and dissemination of the live tools,partly funded by the Centre for Excellence in theTeaching of Mathematics, runs concurrently with thedevelopment. Initial interest and feedback fromteachers, lecturers, industry and experts suggest thetool has potential to capture interest of a broadstudent group. It is envisaged that the tool haspotential use in Key Stage 2 right through to universityeducation.

The maths problems shown are supported byquestions and formative feedback ensuring that userscan play and learn at their leisure gaining visual, audioand text based feedback. Initial development hasutilised 3D images of sites, with video clips of noisyplant and construction equipment to help capture thestudents’ interest.

The tool is being developed with help from industryand other faculties within the University. Theindustrial academic network is supported by theConstruction Knowledge Exchange programme.Initial meetings and discussions with industrial

INTERIM REPORT

Virtual Mathsat Leeds Metropolitan University

If you would like more information regarding thisinterim report, please contact Dr Chris Gorse,Leeds Metropolitan UniversityTel: 0113 8121952c.gorse@leedsmet.ac.uk

Virtual Site:www.leedsmet.ac.uk/teaching/vsite

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Figure 2: Theodolite: for measuring vertical andhorizontal angles

Figure 1: Noisy video clips of construction plant,embedded in 3D panorama

Having showcased and discussed the application withspecialists, with further development, the tool is suitablefor alignment with many parts of the nationalcurriculum. The Virtual Maths tool could become anexemplar product of maths in a vocational context. TheQCA (2006) functional maths proposal calls forapplication of maths to “real world situations”, andstates the need to take students through contextualproblems, which can be complex. Using images fromlive construction sites and animation within the web-based software students can be taken through real mathsproblems in a staged, manageable and supportedenvironment.

The tool will continue to develop walk-throughs,streaming video, interactive quizzes, and provide helpfulinformation though text, audio and video technologythat all help to stimulate interest and make learning moreengaging. However, to ensure that the tool is suitable foruse in schools, colleges and universities further timeneeds to be spent working with teachers and expertsensuring that the tools match their needs. Throughfurther meetings, workshops, discussions and inpartnership with the Carnegie Faculty, the feedbackfrom teachers and specialists will help design the nextgeneration of maths tools.

The use of the Virtual Site is not exclusive to LeedsMetropolitan University, it can be used by schools,colleges, universities and other educationalestablishments.

Consultation and outline discussion have taken placewith teachers from Carlton Bowling College - Bradford(Specialist Maths School and Centre for Construction)and Morley High School - Leeds (Specialist TechnologySchool) and David Young Academy - Leeds. Since thestart of the project we have increased our industrialpartners to include Myddleton Construction Ltd, HBGConstruction and Shepherd Construction. These willform a nucleus of external partners to work on theproject; however, it is expected that the project willdevelop and others will join the team. Industrialcontacts continue to be used to access construction sitesto collect visual data and to obtain further perspectivesof how maths is applied in the working environment.

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Figure 4:Immersadome displaying panoramic photoof construction site

Figure 3: Annotation provides additional informationto help students understand the maths questions

Internal Team - Leeds Metropolitan University

Dr Chris GorseProject Manager & Reader, Construction specialist

Ian DickinsonLead Project TechnicianLead developer in Virtual Site technology

Dr Paul HirstGroup Head for Civil EngineeringLeeds Metropolitan University

David RodgersPrincipal Lecturer, Surveying specialist

Christine HinesSenior Lecturer, Core curriculum specialist

Jill AdamAssociate DeanCarnegie Faculty of Sports & Education

John BradleySenior Lecturer

Paul WhiteheadSenior Lecturer

Collaborators & Links

Links with Secondary Schools

Elisabeth BilsboroughAdvanced Skills Teacher in MathematicsMorley High School

Dave SpearsHead of Technology & ConstructionCarlton Bowling College

Adrian AkindeindeHead of Maths, Carlton Bowling College

Links with Colleges

Christine BryneLeeds College of Building

Brian DuffyLeeds College of Building

Tony ShepherdCentre of Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics

Industrial partners

Kelvin PollardHBG Construction Ltd North East

Simon SutcliffeHBG Construction Ltd North East

Roo ModasiaHBG Construction Ltd UK

Alan JonesMyddleton Construction Ltd

Nigel HemsMyddleton Construction Ltd

Peter BlackburnShepherd Construction

Mike ArmstrongMace

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Figure 5: The basement images lend themselves to volume calculation